20141020愛心米糧 弘揚宗門Seizing Time to Give
I remember back in 1991, I used the description, “ In the rice grain lies many suns and moons.” “In the pot cooks the vitas of Nature.” That’s because that year I saw how devastating the flooding was in eastern China. We went there personally to learn about the situation and found that vast numbers of people were affected. We visited the mountain areas to survey the disaster impact and also went to rural areas.
We saw how people’s rice vats where empty. Looking into their cooking pots, all we saw was very clear soup, because there were no rice grains in it. It was so clear that in it you could see the reflection of the nearby mountain and spring. We decided to quickly give them rice, so they could have rice to eat and finally be able to appease their hunger.
At that time, I truly made sure we wasted no precious minute in order to quickly deliver rice to them, so wouldn’t have to only live on light soup, without any rice to eat. That was our thinking and intention back then. Ever since then, Tzu Chi’s services have gone international. We have provided rice to people in need in Indonesia as well.
We are grateful to work with Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture. Since 2003, the Council has been releasing surplus rice from Taiwan to help poor countries with needs. Any NGO with applicable programs can apply.
Since then, the Council has donated rice to us. For many years, Tzu Chi Indonesia received this rice and distributed it monthly.
I was very grateful to local entrepreneurs for planning the distribution well. They learn the Dharma and took it to heart, so they humbled themselves and joined the distribution, even helping aid recipients carry their rice home. They carried a bag of rice on their shoulder with one hand, their other hand held the hand of aid recipients who were older or in frailer health to support them home.
When they reached their home, they then handed them the rice. Those footage from the aid distribution were truly very beautiful.
Even every successful entrepreneurs can humble themselves to join the work of living bodhisattvas. Later, Taiwanese entrepreneurs also went to Indonesia for the aid work, because rice distributions were held monthly during a period of three to four years.
So, Tzu Chi volunteers from Taiwan went to help.
This is our history. Time flies by so fast. Since 1991, Tzu Chi’s services have extended globally. Tzu Chi’s rice distributions with rice from Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture started in 2003. With that, Taiwanese rice reached countries around the globe. Before that, Tzu Chi purchased rice locally for distributions. Love for humanity drives Tzu Chi’s work. As we review our history, so much comes to our minds. We truly have deep and vast memories stored in our brain cells.
This past weekend was the annual spiritual retreat for Tzu Chi staff. Staff, including management from all missions, as well as staff from Malaysia, came to attend this retreat. Attendees totaled more than 500 people. In summary, I heard attendees share what they had learned about Tzu Chi’s work responding to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and the gas explosions disaster in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Volunteers who served in these aid missions shared what they had learned. From the Kaohsiung gas explosion incident, they learned the truth of impermanence often mentioned in Dharma teachings. It was a rude awakening for them. The gas explosion caused panic and fear in tens of thousands people. Many of them also suffered damages.
That is why we needed to help these people immediately. In the process of helping, we had to work very hard, but we gained joy helping others. We don’t dwell on the difficulties but focus on the joy of serving. Though our work is very hard, to have the opportunity to give of ourselves is a blessing for we gain much insights and joy in the process. In giving, we are indeed blessed with the joy of serving. We also saw our four missions coming together as one family.
Each Tzu Chi hospital contributed a dish of their local specialty for the retreat. Not only were the dishes served at the retreat in Jing Si Hall, I also tasted them here at the Jing Si Abode. Besides the medical mission, our education mission also contributed a snack. It was truly a family gathering.
In fact, we are all part of the global human family. The Tzu Chi family is a big family, but there is the bigger family of humankind. Living on this same Earth, under the same sky, people in every country and ethnic group are actually part of our big family.
We also saw news from Bosnia. In may, the country suffered from a serious flood. The government asked Tzu Chi for assistance. The Tzu Chi volunteers went to Bosnia to survey the disaster and found that it was truly devastating. The disaster area was still devastated at the time of their survey months after the flooding in May.
So, after they returned, our German volunteer, Mr. Pfaff, asked Tzu Chi volunteers in nearby countries to help the people in Bosnia. This time, we have volunteers from eight countries: Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Italy, Austria, Malaysia, and Taiwan, all joining together for the aid distribution.
They had to cross the borders of four countries. On their last border crossing, they faced tough inquiries from officials. So it was not easy to pass through so many countries. However, after they showed their trip’s purpose and demonstrated that Tzu Chi carries out charity work globally, they were permitted to pass.
The actual aid distribution was very touching. Volunteers procured the material supplies locally. From the very beginning, after giving themselves, they said that they are full of gratitude to be able to deliver aid and to help people so far away.
Moreover, look at Bosnia’s history. An incident in Bosnia set off World War I. conflicts and suffering fill its history. More than 19 years ago, conflicts intensified between ethnic and religious groups. For more than a century, this country has not been peaceful. In our aid distribution this time, we see hope for a better future as survivors from different ethnic and religious groups in Bosnia came together.
Truly, only love can bring peace and harmony to the world. I hope Tzu Chi staff and volunteers can learn more about Tzu Chi’s spirit and values and know how we are able to provide aid to people in 87 countries and regions. These are hard-learned lessons in all Tzu Chi’s relief missions.
首頁 